Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain assured a place in the world’s top 20 for the first after winning his second career title on Sunday at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart, Germany. Agut defeated Lukas Rosol of Czech Republic 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Agut won his maiden title at ‘s-Hertogenbosch four weeks ago.
Ranked 23rd prior to the tournament, Bautista Agut won 250 ranking points to rise to number 18 on Monday’s rankings. He also brough home a white Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG 4MATIC and €77,315 in prize money. Rosol won’t leave empty-handed with €40,720 in prize money and 150 ranking points.
“Since the start of the season, I believed a lot in myself and my work,” Bautista Agut said in an interview with ATPWorldTour.com. “I’ve been playing really well, won a lot of matches and it was only a question of time before this happened.
“It’s really difficult to win a tournament on grass and then go to Wimbledon and win a couple matches there and then with only a few practices on clay, come here and win the title. It’s really amazing.”
Rosol assessed his performance in the match.
“From my side, the match was not so good in quality,” he said. “I was looking to find a good rhythm, but the serve was not working at all. I had to risk a lot with my shots. The level was not as good as the previous rounds and it’s a pity because I felt really good this week. It’s a good experience for me and hopefully I can make a better result next year.”
The MercedesCup staged its last tournament on claycourts. Starting 2014, the tournament will be contested on grasscourts and will be a lucrative warm-up leading to Wimbledon Championships.
